Defense leads Woodridge girls basketball past backyard rival Falls
Chris Nauer called it his team’s best defensive performance of the season.
The Woodridge girls basketball head coach was more than pleased with the Bulldogs’ 43-32 victory Jan. 20 at home over Cuyahoga Falls.
“Every girl contributed on the defensive end,” Nauer said. “That really sparked us. And it was against a pretty good Suburban League team.”
Two days later, on Jan. 22 also at home, Woodridge lost 50-31 to Metro Athletic Conference rival Streetsboro to slip to 13-3 overall and 7-3 in the MAC.
In the win over Cuyahoga Falls, Woodridge actually trailed 8-4 after one quarter before tying the score 15-15 at halftime. The Bulldogs forged ahead 30-22 after three quarters.
Nauer’s squad came alive offensively in the second half.
“We were really clicking,” said the coach. “We made some adjustments at halftime. Cuyahoga Falls ran a 2-3 zone where we had some opportunities to screen the outside of the zone, and we made the defender make a decision if they were going to cover the wing or cover the post, and we knocked down some big shots.
“Cameron Hoover, a sophomore guard/forward, got involved, and Leah Mencer, a junior guard, knocked down a couple threes. Leah does a great job of understanding the game of basketball. She reads defenses. When she was open, she knocked down shots, and when she was guarded she looked inside, and Cam had some nice looks to the basket around the rim.
“It was really good to see our team come out in the second half and really execute a nice game plan.”
Hoover wound up with 14 points. Mencer head eight points.
In the defeat to Streetsboro, Woodridge was down 12-7 after the first quarter, 21-13 at the half and 30-20 after the third quarter.
“Streetsboro took a first-quarter lead, then we cut into the lead into the second quarter,” Nauer said. “But every time we made a little bit of a run, they responded. Hats off to the Rockets. They came to play. Their freshman forward, Naomi Benson, had herself a game. She had 26 points. She had her way both inside and outside. She was down on the block, she could shoot from the outside.”
Junior guard Izzy Best paced the Bulldogs with seven points
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Defense lead Woodridge girls basketball past backyard rival Falls
